A Constructive Critique: Advancing Positive Psychology with Equity and Justice

This paper reflects on the evolution of Positive Psychology (PP) during the last 25 years, emphasizing its growth, influence, and widespread application in diverse contexts. Despite substantial growth and a proliferation of scholarship, PP faces criticism for not dedicating enough self-examination to how the field might unknowingly perpetuate some of the societal injustices it purports to help undo. While interventions rooted in positive principles have demonstrated efficacy in various settings, the field must be more intentional in evaluating their alignment with inclusive and equitable standards to educate, cultivate, and serve more diverse populations. Social Justice refers to the fair division of resources, opportunities, and privileges in society. Given the global awakening to systemic oppression throughout Western societies, the paper argues that PP practitioners must actively engage with social justice theories and race scholarship to address systemic inequities in the spaces in which we operate. The critique highlights several issues that limit PP’s accessibility and inclusivity for practitioners and recipients, including reliance on practice models incongruent with transformative social change, challenges with not incorporating systemic inequities into practice frameworks, and reluctance to challenge existing structures that perpetuate oppression. Embracing PP’s growth mindset concept, the authors propose solutions and strategies that underscore a need for strategic alignment with espoused values to effect genuine transformation within the PP field.